How to create a successful welcome for new university students

Creating a successful welcome for new university students is essential to promote their integration and success. This article has practical advice to best prepare for the students' arrival and facilitate their first steps on campus. You will discover how to set up an effective communication upstream, organize relevant orientation sessions, create a warm environment and offer activities to help students familiarize themselves with their new universe. By applying these good practices, you can offer new arrivals a positive integration experience that will lay the foundations for their university career.

Summary :

1- Prepare the arrival of students
2- Facilitate integration on the campus

Prepare for the arrival of students

Upstream

A communication prior to the arrival of students is crucial for their successful integration. Indeed, a lack of information can generate stress and confusion among newcomers.

To remedy this, it is essential to transmit to them upstream the essential practical details such as key dates, administrative procedures to be completed or the documents to be provided. Reception guides sent by email or made available to the establishment's website may effectively centralize this essential information.

Organize orientation sessions

To organize effective orientation sessions for new students, it is important to:

1. Define a clear program: establish a detailed schedule of the various planned activities (presentations, visits, workshops, exchange time ...). Communicate this program upstream to participants.

2. Involve the entire educational community: mobilize teachers, administrative staff and more experienced students in the animation of sessions. Their expertise and testimony will be precious for newcomers.

3. Propose various content: alternate formats (plenary, sessions in small groups, fun activities ...) to maintain attention and facilitate the acquisition of essential information: operation of the establishment, services offered, key interlocutors ...

4. Promote interactions: plan friendly times to allow new students to get to know each other and with other members of the establishment. These moments of exchange are important to create a link and facilitate their integration.

5. Provide information materials: make documents available to participants synthesizing the important points discussed during the sessions (reception booklet, plans, useful contacts ...). These tools will allow them to easily find key information later.

By planning complete and dynamic orientation sessions, you offer new students the best chances of starting their studies in good conditions and flourishing within your establishment.

Facilitate integration on campus

Create a welcoming environment

To offer a warm welcome to new students on campus:

1. Put a clear signage: clearly visible panels must indicate the main places such as the secretariat, the library or the cafeteria. This allows students to move easily.

2. Install information stands: positioned at strategic points, they will be led by more experienced students or staff members. They will be able to answer questions, provide plans and brochures.

3. Provide spaces of conviviality: develop places conducive to meetings and exchanges, with for example comfortable salons, coffee corners or even shaded green spaces. The objective is to promote the interaction between students in a pleasant setting.

A welcoming environment is above all a human -sized campus where you quickly feel at home. Each detail counts so that the new students feel expected, considered and surrounded from their first steps at university.

Offer guided tours

From the start of the school year, the university organizes guided tours of the campus for new students. Supervised by more experienced students, these visits allow you to discover the main places of life and studies.

On the program: a tour of the various buildings housing amphis and classrooms, but also the university library, laboratories, the university restaurant or even sports infrastructure. The opportunity to locate yourself more easily on the campus and soak up its atmosphere.

These visits are also a privileged moment to ask all its questions, whether on the practical aspects of the student daily life or on the particularly rich associative life of the university. A time of exchange and sharing to serenely understand this new step.

Set up a sponsorship system

A sponsorship program makes it possible to create a link between new students and those more experienced. Here are the key steps to set it up effectively:

1. Define the objectives of the program: specify what you want to achieve, as facilitating the integration of new ones, transmitting the culture of the establishment, or even developing mutual aid.

2. Recruit volunteer sponsors: request motivated students to support new arrivals. Be sure to select various profiles reflecting the diversity of your student community.

3. Train the sponsors in their role: prepare them for the situations they could meet and the answers to be provided. Remind them of the resources available on the campus to which their referrals if necessary.

4. Organize meeting times: Plan events at the start of the year to allow sponsorship tandens to get to know and forge links in a friendly setting.

Sponsorship thus promotes a dynamic of exchanges and solidarity between students. By involving the "old", your establishment values ​​their experience and strengthens their feeling of belonging. It is a precious investment for the success and the development of all!

Creating a warm and facilitating welcome for new students is essential to promote their integration and success. By communicating effectively upstream, by organizing relevant orientation sessions, by setting up a welcoming environment and by offering integration activities, you lay the foundations for a successful university course for your students. Solutions like those offered by Emundus can help you simplify and streamline this crucial process, allowing you to personalize application environments, automate repetitive tasks and facilitate communication with your future students, for a back to school under the best auspices.